Sports
Tottenham make initial contact to sign “unbelievable” PL star ahead of Bayern
Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly making checks on a Premier League goalkeeper, who could replace the out-of-form Guglielmo Vicario.
Thomas Frank responds to growing Tottenham pressure
There was plenty of hope that Thomas Frank could be the man to take Tottenham to the next level when he arrived in the summer. By all means, it was an appointment which made perfect sense. That initial hope is now beginning to fade away, however, and the pressure is growing on the Dane to turn things around, as names like Marco Silva begin to be name-dropped.
It speaks volumes that it was a Cristian Romero brace, which included a late overhead kick, which saved Spurs against Newcastle United, with Frank’s attackers continuing to struggle.
The pressure doesn’t seem to be getting to Frank, though, who told reporters when asked whether he would get time to make his mark in North London: “Yeah, I’m very confident.
“I think the ownership – of course I’m just starting to know them, but it seems like they’re good guys, intelligent people – know how to run businesses and learning about football, learning more now they’ve become owners. I think when we’re dealing with intelligent people, they can see every successful dynasty, every successful club has taken time.
“Yeah you have one where you maybe win one year or the second year, but you can’t sustain it if you don’t build something sustainable. Impossible.”
That said, even Frank may not be able to deny that something needs to change for too much longer. Where that change comes remains is the big question.
Vicario’s position is certainly up for debate. The goalkeeper was booed by his own fans after a mistake against Fulham and Spurs have since been linked with moves for both James Trafford and Bart Verbruggen.
According to TeamTalk, Tottenham have now made initial contact for Verbruggen, making checks on the Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper. He’s someone that ENIC reportedly admire and a player that will make their shortlist if they decide to replace Vicario in the coming year.
Tottenham could prove ‘irresistible’ to manager who Levy was urged to hire before Frank
He’s on the verge of leaving his current club.
Alas, they’re not the only ones who admire the Dutchman. Bayern Munich are also reportedly big fans of Verbruggen and see him as a potential replacement for one of the best goalkeepers of all time, Manuel Neuer.
|
PL stats 25/26 |
Verbruggen |
Vicario |
|---|---|---|
|
Starts |
13 |
14 |
|
Clean Sheets |
3 |
4 |
|
Save Percentage |
68.9% |
72.% |
|
Pass Completion |
76.6% |
75.6% |
Whilst Vicario’s recent mistake turned him into public enemy No.1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his underlying numbers suggest that he’s likely to turn a corner after that moment of madness.
They also suggest that Verbruggen wouldn’t be a major upgrade, despite Fabian Hurzeler’s verdict that the Dutchman is an “unbelievable character”.
The last thing that Spurs need is to waste more funds on those who wouldn’t provide Frank with much-needed upgrades. Unless the Lilywhites find a goalkeeper who is putting up better numbers than Vicario, then they should show faith in their No.1 for at least the remainder of the campaign.
